Last week, we reported that Alabama House Bill 389, a bill to protect sportsmen’s credit card purchase privacy rights, passed the House Public Safety and Homeland Committee. We also reported that the banking community is attempting to push an amendment to remove their liability from the bill.
HB 389 has been re-referred to the House Financial Services Committee and is scheduled to be heard tomorrow, Wednesday, April 17th. Please use our Take Action button to email the committee and urge them to pass HB 389 without amendments.
House Bill 389 prohibits a financial institution from requiring merchants to use a merchant category code (MCC) or any other indicator to distinguish a firearms retailer from a general merchandise retailer or a sporting goods retailer during a firearms transaction amounting to financial surveillance and from disclosing financial information regarding the transaction. The bill also prohibits a state agency or other political subdivision of the state, or any other person, public or private, from keeping any record of privately owned firearms or a registry of the owner of those firearms. HB 389 further protects sportsmen by authorizing the Attorney General to investigate alleged violations of this act, to enforce this act by bringing an action to recover civil penalties, and to restrain and enjoin an individual or entity from violating this act.
Credit card companies are currently working to comply with California’s new firearm and ammunition credit card tracking law. It is more important now than ever for the Heart of Dixie to protect its sportsmen and women.
Don’t forget to share this important alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen. Ask them to contact the committee and ask them to support HB 389 without amendments.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.